


The Resident Guinea Pig Expert

by raths_kitten



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel likes guinea pigs, Dean/Cas Tropefest 5k Mid-Winter Challenge (Supernatural), M/M, Meet-Cute, Pet Store, Schmoop, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:55:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28720017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raths_kitten/pseuds/raths_kitten
Summary: Just a meet-cute in the pet store. Castiel is inquiring about guinea pigs.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 8
Kudos: 98
Collections: Dean/Cas Tropefest 2021 Mid-Winter 5k





	The Resident Guinea Pig Expert

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Dean/Cas Tropefest Mid-Winter 5K](http://deancastropefest.tumblr.com). I was looking through the tropes list and got super excited when I saw “Castiel likes hamsters”. Then I realized that it was probably a mistake, but got the idea for this fic.

“Hey Dean, your boyfriend is here,” Charlie announces loudly and Dean flushes. There are customers in this shop. But at least the window should be thick enough that the actual man in question hasn’t heard.

He immediately abandons his current occupation of checking the rodent feed’s expiry dates and inches closer to the guinea pigs. As soon as he spots him, Dean sighs. The man currently pressed against the glass and engrossed in watching the pigs had been coming by almost every day for over two weeks now. He never comes in. He probably has never even noticed Dean checking him out. But damn.

Today was a warm day so Dean gets treated to him in just slacks and a white shirt, top two buttons undone. Not like he isn’t also sexy in that rumpled trench coat of his but Dean feels especially blessed. The guy has dark unruly hair and the most stunning blue eyes Dean’s ever seen, especially when they get shiny at watching the guinea pigs.

Dean bites his lower lip. He should maybe go outside and talk to him. Invite him in to hold one. Only to be a good employee and make a sale, of course. Not because he wants to drag him back to the employees-only breakroom and kiss those plush lips and bury his hands in that glorious hair and… “Oh shit.” Dean’s eyes widen. Charlie has clearly decided Dean doesn’t deserve to live today. She went outside and is now talking to Blue-Eyes.

And before Dean has time to mentally prepare, they actually enter the shop together. Charlie zeroes in on Dean immediately and drags the mystery man over. “Dean here is our resident guinea pig expert. I’m sure he’d love to answer any questions you might have.” She pats the man’s arm. “It was really nice to meet you, Castiel.” She gives Dean a meaningful look before she goes to help another customer.

Dean blinks, trying to get his brain back into gear. But all it’s thinking is how much more beautiful the man is up close. The blue-eyed mystery man who is staring right back. And oh shit, this was starting to get awkward, wasn’t it?

Kicking himself out of it, Dean avoids his gaze and looks at the pigs instead. “So you had questions, Castiel?” He pronounces the name slowly, hoping he’d said it right.

“Uh, yes,” the man, Castiel, rasps in a deep voice and Dean’s head snaps back up. “I read that you should always buy more than one guinea pig but is two a good number? Or should they be in a larger group? And how will I know if they even like each other?”

Dean smiles. Castiel has obviously done his research. That just makes him even more attractive. “That depends on how much space you have and how much you’re willing to spend, honestly.” Dean shrugs. “Two is fine. But they’re herd animals and usually pretty chill. You could have one guinea pig and one bunny and they’ll get along.”

Castiel frowns. “I don’t think I want a bunny. Though I guess that would definitely avoid them producing offspring.” He hesitates. “Right?”

Dean chuckles. Oh god. Castiel was adorable. “Yeah. But don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure you get a same-sex pair. Unless you want to start breeding them?”

Castiel’s face lights up and Dean is pretty sure he’s thinking of cute baby pigs. But reason must set in, because his face falls a little. “You can tell their sex?”

“Of course.” Dean points towards his nametag. “I’m a professional.”

“And the resident guinea pig expert,” Castiel adds with a smile. “I forgot.”

Dean nods in confirmation and come to think of it, he does know as much as any of his colleagues, maybe even more. So yeah. He _is_ the resident expert. “Do you want to hold one?” Dean asks and before Castiel can reply, he opens the cage and gets out a male tri-color American guinea pig.

“Oh, no, I…” Castiel hesitates, but when Dean holds him out, he strokes the pig’s head gently before taking him out of Dean’s hands and cradling him carefully to his own body. Their fingers brush but Dean can’t even obsess about it, because the way Castiel handles the guinea pig is just so precious.

The pig must like being held so gently and close to Castiel’s body, where it was warm, because he gives a happy squeak. ‘Yeah, buddy,’ Dean thinks. ‘I’d like it there as well.’

The noise makes Castiel flinch though and he tries to hand the pet back. “Did I hurt it?”

“Oh no!” Dean is quick to reassure him, petting the pig’s fur but not taking him back. “It means he likes you.”

“Oh,” Castiel’s whole face lights up and he pulls the pig back towards his body, gently petting him. Dean pulls his own hand back, but not before their fingers touch again and Dean has never been jealous of a guinea pig before, but… dammit.

After watching Castiel smile at the guinea pig for a while, Dean realizes that he is sporting the same dopey smile, except he’s watching a customer and not a pet. “Uhm, do you have any other questions I can answer for you?”

Castiel shakes his head and hands the pet back reluctantly. “I shouldn’t have come in here. I’m not ready yet and now it’s gonna be harder.” He sighs.

Dean surreptitiously glances in Charlie’s direction and glares. If this was the last time Castiel comes by because she’s spooked him, he’ll never forgive her. “Getting a pet is a commitment. I get it.” Dean is still holding the pig and petting him himself now.

Castiel nods. “I recently moved and I finally have enough space, but I was going to build my own cage first. And uhm, set up a real pen. I have a whole room just for the guinea pigs,” he explains cheerfully, but then he schools his expression. “Uhm, is that weird? That I’ll give them their own room?”

“Oh no!” Dean is quick to reassure him. He puts the pig back into the cage so he can gesture with his hands. “It’s actually really good to hear. You won’t believe the size of some of the cages they make us sell. I always try to talk them out of it, but what can you do?”

Castiel nods. “That must be hard for you.” He cocks his head. “So you really care for the animals?”

Dean frowns. “Of course I do. I know pet stores have a bad reputation, but we really do try our best here.”

“Oh, I’ve heard. And I came by a few times to watch. The guinea pigs seem healthy,” Castiel says.

“I know,” Dean replies. “I saw.” He slaps a hand over his mouth. “Uhm, I mean… I couldn’t help but notice you, uhm, occasionally, when I was, uhm, when I happened to be standing here anyway.”

Castiel gives him a wide smile. “I saw you, too.”

“Oh.” Dean smirks and looks down. “Listen, if you need some help building your pen, I may be able to give you some pointers. I’ve built an activity room for my hamsters as well.”

“You have hamsters?” Castiel asks.

“Well, just one. They’re solitary animals.” Dean shrugs. “But they sure need their space.”

“Don’t they die real early though?” Castiel remarks.

“Yes.” Dean shrugs a little. “That’s why I have to do all I can to give them the best life possible.”

There is that blinding smile from Castiel again and Dean basks in it. “That is actually a very nice thought. I’d love to see your hamster’s habitat.”

Dean beams. Usually when he meets guys, they mock him for having a children’s pet and not a ‘real one’. It’s an immediate red flag for him. He’s glad Castiel is not one of those morons. He pulls out his phone to show Castiel some pictures but stops when Castiel pulls his own phone out as well. Oh.

“Do you want to… come by and see it?” Dean dares to ask.

“I would love that,” Castiel immediately assures him, looking him in the eyes until he has to glance at his phone again. “Here, let me give you my number.”

Dean is a little stunned. The hot guy who likes rodents is giving him his number first. And he wants to come over. “Uh, so… I get off in ten minutes if you wanna…”

“Oh, no.” Castiel looks at him in shock. “I need to… I can’t…” He swallows and takes a deep breath. “I can’t make it tonight, but is tomorrow ok? Text me your address?” He fiddles with his collar even though it is already loose. Dean thinks it’s adorable. “If you want to, of course. Oh God.” Castiel’s eyes widen. “I promise I am not some stalker who has been watching you for weeks only to now pounce.”

Dean snorts. “I hadn’t thought of that until you sugegsted it just now.”

“Shit.” Castiel fumbles. “I can meet you here. In a public location. How about that?”

Dean has to laugh and puts a hand on Castiel’s shoulder. How had he found a guy this hot yet this insecure? “It’s fine. I invited you, remember? You didn’t press.” He suddenly gets an idea. “But you have a point. Let me take a picture of you to text Charlie so if I don’t show up to work the next day, the police will know who to look for.”

“What?” Castiel’s eyes widen again but Dean doesn’t hesitate and pulls up his camera app and snaps a picture. And then another two in case one of them was blurry. It’s completely self-indulgent and he just wants a picture of Castiel. This was probably the best opening he could get. On their actual date it would just be creepy.

Date. Dean smiles. They hadn’t said anything about food, but he’ll make sure to have beer in the house and they could always order take-away. Dean would cook for him on their third date maybe. Three was a good number, wasn’t it?

Castiel leaves shortly thereafter and gives a small wave and Dean ends his shift excited for the next day.

**

The next day at 8 pm Castiel rings Dean’s doorbell. He doesn’t bring flowers but instead he has a quality hamster treat and a small selection of fruit, because he wasn’t sure which is Dean’s hamster’s favorite. But of course Dean can eat some as well. Dean just has to laugh when he hears it. It’s perfect.

“I, uhm, might have waited until you were gone and went back to the pet store to ask Charlie what to get for your hamster.” Castiel confesses, passing a hand through his hair nervously.

And Dean isn’t quite sure anymore if _that’s_ when he fell completely in love or if it was Castiel’s expression of pure joy when he saw Dean’s hamster habitat or when he pulled out an actual notepad to scribble down what Dean tells him about preparing the wood and which chemicals to definitely avoid. But he ends up actually helping Castiel build his pig pen and he home delivers Castiel’s three new flat mates once it’s done - and then stays the night to make sure they settle in smoothly. Because he really cares about animals. No other reason at all.


End file.
